Shedding a Little Light on Dive Torches
Dive lights are pretty much an essential piece of equipment for any scuba diver these days whether or not you are planning on doing a night dive, from being able to look under rocks and corals for those elusive critters, to videography or just having one in case of an emergency dive lights come in all shapes and sizes these days. In this blog post I will take you through my collection of dive lights and torches and explain a little about the pro and cons of each one and what they are all used for.
The authors collection of different dive lights and torches
From left to right: X-Adventurer m2500, SUPE RD35, Orca Torch D520, Scubapro Nova220, Bubble Scuba BEV-12
Traditionally dive lights used to be the preserve of those who went night diving, essential for being able to see in the dark but nowadays a lot of divers will tuck one in the pocket of their BCD in case of an emergency or use it to look underneath rocks or corals for hiding creatures. With GoPro’s being used more and more video lights are now big business as well and so the choice of lights available on the market now seems endless, not to mention the power, a couple of years ago finding a light of 1000 lumens was difficult and considered incredibly bright, now you can easily find lights over 5000 lumens, especially when talking about video lights and it can all seem a little overwhelming and confusing. So today we’re going to have a go at talking you through the basics and what you will need for various activities.
Scubapro Nova 220
The Everyday Dive Light
Regardless of whether or not I am going for a night dive I like to have a dive light with me at all times, it is great in case I want to peer under some rocks or corals to see what is hiding down there and is useful incase the visibility isn’t very good and I need to signal to the group to let them know where I am. For this purpose I have a little Scubapro Nova 220 light attached to my BCD at all times - it’s perfect for the job, small, light and with 3 different settings (Full beam, low power and flashing) means that it can adapt to whatever situation I need it to. It’s also perfect as a backup light for a night dive where you something small incase your main light fails. You can either attach it to your mask with the rubber strap included or use the lanyard supplied which is what I choose to do most of the time and loop it though one of my BCD D-rings. Another great thins about this light is that it runs off a small CR123 battery, meaning that you don’t have to drag another charging cable and socket around with you as well. The only downside to this light is that it is twist operated, meaning that if you’re not careful you could end up screwing the top off and letting water in!
The facts:
Scubrapro Nova 220
Brightness: 220 lumens
Depth rating: 120m
Cost: $80
I also have another small light that can be attached to a mask strap if need, a SUPE RD35, its even smaller than the Nova220 but I haven’t had a chance to test it out yet. Its also about a third of the price as well which just goes to show you don’t need to break the bank with expensive equipment too.
Orca Torch D520
The Night Diving Light
I really enjoy night dives, it’s a chance to see a different side to the underwater world, especially on coral reefs when the coral seems to come alive and predators such as sharks and moray eels seem to become more active. If you are going to go for a night dive then a good, bright torch is an essential piece of equipment otherwise you won’t be able to see anything and will almost certainly get lost. Most dive operators will lend/rent you a torch but these tend to be very bulky and not so bright so I have invested in one of my own. A good night diving light will be easy to use, bright and have a concentrated beam (unlike a video light). My own night diving light is an Orca Torch D520 - it only has one power setting and give out 1000 lumens which is more than enough to be able to see in the dark in tropical waters. Its rated to a depth of 150m so is more than capable of handling any recreational diving situation and is twist operated. This is actually a plus on a night diving light, it has a double o-ring set up and as you will turn it on before you head down it doesn’t carry the risk of introducing a leak when trying to operate it. It come with a lanyard to put around your wrist so that if you do lose your grip momentarily then you won’t have lost it. I would like to see some different settings such as a low power or flashing mode and even a red light would go a miss, but for the price I still think this is a great buy.
The facts:
Orca Torch D520
Brightness 1000 lumens
Depth: 150m
Cost: $100
X-Adventurer M2500
The Video Light
With the GoPro seemingly taking over the underwater world more and more people are starting to invest in video lights to ensure that they can get the best quality video possible, sometimes the red filter just won’t do and having a good quality, bright video light is the best way to get realistic colours in your footage. I actually own two video torches. The first I brought was a Bubble Scuba BEV-12, which was 1000 lumens with a nice wide angle beam and further attachments to increase the coverage and also a red filter for night diving. The light didn’t have a ball attachment so I used a velcro strap to attach to the arm on my GoPro tray and this setup worked just fine for me for several years. As you can see from the top [icture it has a few paintwork scratches which is testament to how rugged and well used this torch was. It also comes with a lanyard and recently I have taken to having this as a backup light on a night dive which has worked well. My other video light is an X-Adventurer M2500 which I have to say I am super pleased with. Its a 2500 lumen beast and I managed to shoot some super footage with it and haven’t been disappointed. Its rated for 100m so more than able to cope with any situation I through at it and in the box it comes with a wide array of attachments so I can add it as a video light onto my camera tray and rig which makes it super versatile. The only downside I would say is that the two bottom on and off makes it a little clumsy to operate sometimes but it comes with a number of different modes such as lower power settings and a red light for night diving so this is super useful, it can also double as a main night diving light as well which makes this a super useful piece of kit and cuts down on the amount of gear you’ll need to carry as well.
The facts:
Bubble Scuba BEV-12
Brightness: 1000 lumens
Depth: 100m
Cost: $100
X-Adventurer M2500
Brightness: 2500 lumens
Depth: 100m
Cost: $280
Conclusions:
Buying a dive light is a tricky business and you’ll need to think about what your primary use for it would be, if you’re looking for a small backup light you can pop inside your BCD then the Scubapro is the one for you, if you’re looking for a night diving light or Video Light then I would recommend the X-Adventurer M2500 as something that can double for both roles. However, I do recommend going to your nearest dive equipment retailer and talking through with them what you’ll be using it for and how much you want to spend.